1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a biological observation apparatus.
This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-130880, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, observation of various biological specimens has been performed using microscopes and the like, and microscope apparatuses with which image information is acquired by capturing an image of a biological specimen with a camera, etc., and movement and changes over time of the biological specimen are automatically tracked on the basis of the acquired image information have been known (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2008-281720). A microscope apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2008-281720 is configured so as to irradiate a specified biological specimen mounted on a stage with illumination light and to control the stage position, on the basis of image information acquired by capturing its transmitted light, so that the biological specimen does not leave the field of view. It is also configured so as to perform fluorescence observation by capturing fluorescence generated at the biological specimen by radiating excitation light while tracking the movement of the biological specimen.
However, with the microscope apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No, 2008-281720, because the stage position is controlled in accordance with the movement of the specified biological specimen, there is the inconvenience that only the specified specimen can be tracked. In addition, there is a problem in that the biological specimen cannot be tracked when its shape, etc. changes. Furthermore, there is a problem in that, when attempting to acquire high-resolution image information, the biological specimen tends to exceed the viewing range, making it highly likely that it becomes impossible to track the specimen.